We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Janel Gonzalez a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Janel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started The Rising Community for those who needed support on their spiritual journey. Often, the journey to your HIGHER self is lonely. We are shedding old parts of ourselves that no longer serve us, and usually, our close circle of family and friends doesn’t support us. The people closest to us only understand and view us one way. It’s also confronting because seeing your growth triggers things they have been avoiding within themselves. So it’s refreshing to be in a supportive community of people who understand your new vocabulary and speak your language. We see each other’s unique gifts and celebrate them. We inspire each other daily!

I aim to keep The Rising Community a positive, safe place to LIFT each other. The world is so heavy, so I want to build a community where people see positive content that could be of value to their lives and help them reflect or inspire themselves to take action towards their goals.

My insights aren’t rocket science, although they are backed by neuroscience, psychology, spirituality, and philosophy. I offer practical tools that are short, easily digestible, and spark reflection or intention to live a better life.

I like to say, “Don’t fall into a limited life. RISE to a limitless one.” If you haven’t already, you can live a more meaningful life with these insightful tools.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a writer, mother, and wife living in Los Angeles. I’m a recovering perfectionist and reforming people pleaser. I honored myself by prioritizing my spiritual growth in the second half of my life. I am showing people how to access their inner guide and have them connect to a HIGHER power.
I offer 1:1 Rising sessions for personal or business growth. These collaborative sessions help guide you toward a higher quality of life with practical insights, actions, and tools.
The space is held with confidentiality, non-judgment, curiosity, and openness.
I provide a practical approach based on my four core principles R.I.S.E. These actions are not sequential steps but fluid ones you can take at any time.
R is for Reflect
I is for Intend
S is for Simplify
E is for Enjoy
The goal is to help you connect more deeply to YOUR inner voice, embrace a new way of being, and live more joyfully. You have all the answers inside of you. I am simply here to guide you on your journey.
I am excited you are here. I look forward to helping you RISE and honor the life meant for YOU!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes, Ryan Holiday’s books have profoundly impacted my life over the last year. He’s a stoic and based most of his work on studying notable stoic philosophers like Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. He’s taken their timeless wisdom, which is a bit complex to understand, and made it easily digestible.

My favorite books by him are The Obstacle Is The Way, Stillness Is The Key, and Ego Is The Enemy. Every entrepreneur needs to live by these three books as their character core.

The Obstacle Is The Way teaches us that we can overcome adversity, unlock gold through difficult experiences, and discover strengths we did not know we had. I think every NFL coach has this on their nightstand. Another key takeaway is to follow the PROCESS, not the prize.

Ego Is The Enemy has been life-changing for me as a person who struggles with impulse control. I was very reactive and constantly needed to defend my existence to others. This year was a year of tremendous growth for me in controlling my emotions, not taking the bait, and being at peace if others do not understand me. I no longer seek validation because I know my worth and truth. We cannot change others’ perceptions about us. Our egos naturally want to defend themselves, but our true nature doesn’t need to. If we can all learn not to REACT, we can protect our long-term goals and reputation. Let other people “lose it,” not you. Stay calm and centered.

Stillness Is The Key is another book in this trilogy. He emphasizes that we need to be comfortable in silence and stillness. This is where we unlock our creativity. It’s hard today to get into a meditation practice, sit in stillness, or be in nature. We have many distractions but must find a way to get STILL. We need to remain steady while the world spins around us. We must stay closely connected to our inner voice because it knows the answers.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn everything I was conditioned to believe as a child that would garner acceptance in society. I thought I had to be a perfectionist and a people-pleaser. I made everyone else comfortable, minus myself, for most of my life. I walked through life giving away my power to outside forces and never really lived life according to my true nature. Thankfully, after 40, I regained my power and started living more authentically. I am not afraid to be SEEN. I am not scared to LISTEN to myself, and I am not afraid to PROTECT my peace. I have fully embodied a new way of being. One where I am deeply connected to myself, honor my needs first, and follow my inner guidance.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.the-rising.co
• Instagram: the.rising.co
• Other: https://therisingbyjanel.substack.com

Image Credits

Courtney Acuna, You and Me Media https://www.youandmemedia.co
Instagram @youandmemedia.co or @courtacuna

My personal photo only was shot by Morgan Pansing @morganpansing the rest were Courtney